What's in the news?

[Vekseid]

So were just going to forget the six month travel ban Obama put in effect on Iraq? It's not a blanket ban on Muslims, just the places that are deemed a big enough security risk. Oh god I'm defending Trump...

There is no need to forget, your claim is false.

Edit: The ban was a six-month ban on refugee processing. It certainly did not block green card holders, citizens, or even visa holders.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Obama rejects comparison between Trump’s immigration policy and his own, encourages protests

[Vekseid]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/30/quebec-mosque-shooting-canada-deaths

One of the original suspects, a Moroccan, has now been confirmed to be a witness and actually had called the police.

White House uses the attack to justify Trump's policies.

[Beguile's Mistress]

*nods*  They were quick to get the 'alternative facts' out there, before suspects were even identified.

I love the Spicer dog and pony comedy show.

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/quebec-terror-suspect-alexandre-bissonnette-charged-with-six-counts-of-murder?utm_content=inf_11_3687_2&utm_source=wildhair&utm_campaign=fijifrost&tse_id=INF_ca2b16c0e74511e6a03c354c456e1db2

Yeah the whole "it was two muslims who did it" isnt working anymore,  turns out it was one white guy, and quite a racist one too. Surprise.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I get email notifications from a group called Progressive Change Campaign Committee.  This is a notice I got today.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) told Politico this morning that he will filibuster any Trump Supreme Court pick unless Trump nominates Merrick Garland -- Obama's nominee.

Merkley told Politico "This is a stolen seat. This is the first time a Senate majority has stolen a seat. We will use every lever in our power to stop this."

Politico reports, "That means Trump's nominee will need 60 votes to be confirmed by the Senate."

I'll be interested to see how this works out.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Trump fires acting U.S. attorney general after she refuses to enforce immigration order.

[Nachtmahr]

I spent all morning reporting tweets from "News Organizations" claiming the attack was carried out by Syrians, who had entered the country as refugees. It's not much, I know, but we really have to do everything we can to shut down these falsehoods before they spread.

[Beguile's Mistress]

*nods*  I've left more comments on news articles in the last two months than I have in the last 10 years.  Some of the names I've been call have been pretty horrendous but not really anything I haven't received from some people I encounter in so-called friendly places.  Sticks and stones and all that.  Still, I'm not giving up and going away.  We all have to fight as best we can.

[Formless]

One of the original suspects, a Moroccan, has now been confirmed to be a witness and actually had called the police.

White House uses the attack to justify Trump's policies.

*nods*  They were quick to get the 'alternative facts' out there, before suspects were even identified.

I love the Spicer dog and pony comedy show.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/quebec-terror-suspect-alexandre-bissonnette-charged-with-six-counts-of-murder?utm_content=inf_11_3687_2&utm_source=wildhair&utm_campaign=fijifrost&tse_id=INF_ca2b16c0e74511e6a03c354c456e1db2

Yeah the whole "it was two Muslims who did it" isnt working anymore,  turns out it was one white guy, and quite a racist one too. Surprise.

I'm not surprised that some politicians consider any terrorist attack was done by Muslims as a default reaction.

The sad thing is, our leaders aren't even commenting about it besides the obligatory 'condolences' messages.

[Trigon]

Acting Attorney General has just been fired for defying dictator Trump: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-fires-attorney-general-sally-yates_us_588ff493e4b0c90efeffbc2f?

[Anteros]

FBI: U.S. law enforcement infiltrated by white supremacists: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/31/fbi-u-s-law-enforcement-infi.html & https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/the-fbi-has-quietly-investigated-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-law-enforcement/

Emboldened by Trump, some police unions seek to overhaul Obama’s reforms: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/emboldened-by-trump-some-police-unions-seek-to-overhaul-obama/article_6ddc6e87-e212-55ec-94b2-8361e28b5e2d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

How French politics went topsy-turvy in 100 days: http://www.france24.com/en/20170131-french-presidential-election-campaign-sarkozy-hollande-valls-hamon-fillon-penelope-france

French investigators seize parliamentary documents in Fillon probe: http://www.france24.com/en/20170131-french-investigators-seize-parliamentary-documents-fillon-probe?ref=tw_i

Air France union urges members to refuse work on U.S. flights after Trump order: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-immigration-air-france-idUKKBN15F1OF

British lawyer plots legal bid to make Brexit reversible: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-article50-reverse-idUKKBN15F12M

[Trigon]

FBI: U.S. law enforcement infiltrated by white supremacists: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/31/fbi-u-s-law-enforcement-infi.html & https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/the-fbi-has-quietly-investigated-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-law-enforcement/

Emboldened by Trump, some police unions seek to overhaul Obama’s reforms: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/emboldened-by-trump-some-police-unions-seek-to-overhaul-obama/article_6ddc6e87-e212-55ec-94b2-8361e28b5e2d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

How French politics went topsy-turvy in 100 days: http://www.france24.com/en/20170131-french-presidential-election-campaign-sarkozy-hollande-valls-hamon-fillon-penelope-france

French investigators seize parliamentary documents in Fillon probe: http://www.france24.com/en/20170131-french-investigators-seize-parliamentary-documents-fillon-probe?ref=tw_i

Air France union urges members to refuse work on U.S. flights after Trump order: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-immigration-air-france-idUKKBN15F1OF

British lawyer plots legal bid to make Brexit reversible: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-article50-reverse-idUKKBN15F12M

Just absolute chaos out there to be sure!


In related news, Trump has broken the record for becoming the worst president ever, in the fastest amount of time. Only one week: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/president-donald-trump-smashes-record-get-fastest-majority-disapproval/

I wonder what other records look to be broken?

[TheGlyphstone]

Let's just continue to hope 'First U.S. President to be removed from office via impeachment' isn't one of them.

[Oniya]

Just absolute chaos out there to be sure!


In related news, Trump has broken the record for becoming the worst president ever, in the fastest amount of time. Only one week: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/president-donald-trump-smashes-record-get-fastest-majority-disapproval/

I wonder what other records look to be broken?

Didn't he have that kind of disapproval rating during the campaign?  Can we use negative numbers to set this sort of record? 

[gaggedLouise]

Didn't he have that kind of disapproval rating during the campaign?  Can we use negative numbers to set this sort of record? 

Or imaginary numbers (the square root of a negative number)? 

[Cassandra LeMay]

Didn't he have that kind of disapproval rating during the campaign?  Can we use negative numbers to set this sort of record? 

Actually he had a worse favorability rating. A net favorability of +/- 0 is an improvement for Trump. http://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/donald-trump-inauguration/?lpup=24121313#livepress-update-24121313 (look for the 9:42am post by Harry Enten if the link doesn't directly take you to it)

[Beguile's Mistress]

Just absolute chaos out there to be sure!


In related news, Trump has broken the record for becoming the worst president ever, in the fastest amount of time. Only one week: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/president-donald-trump-smashes-record-get-fastest-majority-disapproval/

I wonder what other records look to be broken?

He went into office on inauguration day with the lowest approval ratings of any newly installed president.

Of course, Spicer probably believes those numbers were the highest ever - period!

[Cassandra LeMay]

He went into office on inauguration day with the lowest approval ratings of any newly installed president.

Of course, Spicer probably believes those numbers were the highest ever - period!

If no one ever had any more negative numbers your numbers are the best on the negative scale, therefore they are the best. Right? That's what best means, doesn't it? Because you have the most negative numbers. And most is more. And more is good. Right? 

And zero net favorability means no one hates Trump. If people hated him he would have negative favorability. But he's totally neutral. And if he's neutral no one hates him. And if no one hates him the people who say people hate him are lying.



Welcome to the world where double plus un-good actually makes sense.

[Beguile's Mistress]

If no one ever had any more negative numbers your numbers are the best on the negative scale, therefore they are the best. Right? That's what best means, doesn't it? Because you have the most negative numbers. And most is more. And more is good. Right? 

And zero net favorability means no one hates Trump. If people hated him he would have negative favorability. But he's totally neutral. And if he's neutral no one hates him. And if no one hates him the people who say people hate him are lying.



Welcome to the world where double plus un-good actually makes sense.

*laughs*  So that's how they come up with those alternative facts!

[Avis habilis]

Customs & Border Patrol are continuing to enforce the Muslim ban despite being told by judges to refrain.

http://dcist.com/2017/01/customs_and_border_protection_still.php
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/customs-border-protection-agents-trump-muslim-country-travel-ban
https://news.vice.com/story/border-protection-agents-are-still-trying-to-deport-people-at-lax-attorneys-say

I repeat CBP is obeying directives from the executive branch in spite of explicit direction from the judiciary to refrain.

Two branches of the government are now working against each other.

[Nachtmahr]

Customs & Border Patrol are continuing to enforce the Muslim ban despite being told by judges to refrain.

http://dcist.com/2017/01/customs_and_border_protection_still.php
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/customs-border-protection-agents-trump-muslim-country-travel-ban
https://news.vice.com/story/border-protection-agents-are-still-trying-to-deport-people-at-lax-attorneys-say

I repeat CBP is obeying directives from the executive branch in spite of explicit direction from the judiciary to refrain.

Two branches of the government are now working against each other.

I don't mean to sound hyperbolic, but am I the only one getting a bit of a "brown shirts"-vibe from this?

[Cassandra LeMay]

*laughs*  So that's how they come up with those alternative facts!

I am not authorized to divulge that information. 

But I do have a degree in gallows humor. Got that at some sort of university. 

Customs & Border Patrol are continuing to enforce the Muslim ban despite being told by judges to refrain. ...

Two branches of the government are now working against each other.

Didn't think it would go this far that fast.

I don't mean to sound hyperbolic, but am I the only one getting a bit of a "brown shirts"-vibe from this?

No, it's not just you. There is a certain element of "I just followed orders" to this. But the people who have to deal with this mess are really stuck between a rock and a hard place so I have some sympathy for them.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I don't mean to sound hyperbolic, but am I the only one getting a bit of a "brown shirts"-vibe from this?

[TheGlyphstone]

Strictly speaking, the last one on the list isn't true. He left the option open, but didn't actually commit to saying he wanted it or was going to do it.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/nov/24/donald-trumps-comments-database-american-muslims/

Only pointing this out because he's got enough truly frightening parallels that can be confirmed, like the rest of the list. Adding inaccurate/unconfirmed things is a wedge by which his supporters can try and discredit the true bits.